We Live Again: 4 Collisions
by Cosmina Inspira
Summary: The future isn't always written in stone, but it is effected by the past. Goliath crosses paths with a mysterious gargoyle with an uncanny resemblance to Elisa. Who is she? What is her connection to the Manhattan Clan? As the answers are revealed, they worked together to defeat three old and new enemies. T more for profanity and some violence.
1. Chapter 1

We Live Again: Episode 4

Collisions

By Cosmic Inspiration

eaglewiccan

Disclaimer: The Gargoyles animated series is originally the property of the Walt Disney Company and Buena Vista Inc., and originally created by Greg Weisman. Darius and the inspired character for James Kowalski were originally created by the Gargoyles Saga staff. Dickson Hill is originally from the holodeck fantasy world in Star Trek: The Next Generation. No infringement is intended and this author makes no profit from the original copyholders. All original characters are the property of the author Inspiration.

Previously on Gargoyles…

"I am Thailog."

"I can't wait to see all three of my proud fathers go out in a fiery blaze of glory." Laughs maniacally as he closes the hatch. Thailog.

(Canon) _Double Jeopardy_

Scene of Demona and Thailog falling from the roller coaster to a fiery doom in canon episode 'The Reckoning.'

"The raw energy. The unbridled power. I am Coldsteel!"

Coldsteel (aka Iago)

(Canon) _Possession_

"Where are my brother and sister?" Coldsteel.

"They've gone to Avalon. You can't reach them there." Angela

"I have some use for you. We could benefit from an alliance." Thailog to Coldsteel

(TGS) _Through the Storm_

"Greetings, I am Darius."

"You have magic falling off of you. . .What kind of magic is this?" Demona.

"Necromancy." Darius.

"What are you trying to accomplish by attacking us like this?!" Goliath.

"That is my business alone, O Noble Council Leader." Darius.

"You are not going ANYWHERE, traitor." Tamora.

"I disagree." Darius smiled as he suddenly became enveloped in a cloud of black smoke.

(TGS) _The Council_ multi-parter.

"What do you propose in the way of an alliance? I do believe that we can help each other." Darius to Coldsteel.

"I am Typhon of the New Olympus Clan. What do you want of me?" Typhon to Thailog.

"Only a temporary alliance. . .I can see that we all have something to gain from each other." Thailog.

(WLA) _Trust_

"Time is like a river. . .History cannot be altered. The solutions lie not in the past but in the present." Goliath.

(Canon) _Future Tense_

"I can't help noticing that Angela sort of looks like Demona. Whose daughter is she?" Elisa to Goliath.

(Canon) _Avalon part 2_.

"I am proud of you. . .my daughter." Goliath.

"Oh, Father!" Angela.

(Canon) _Mark of the Panther_

She stomped down the ancient cold grey stonewalled corridor, not caring about where she headed to, the ambiance of the hallway in its bleakness matching her mood all too well.

Where once there had been torches that burned with fire to light the way as beacons in the dark to give the cold castle a warm welcoming presence, now there were modern illuminators that banished the darkness completely, yet also could not or would not banish a cold loneliness that now seemed to linger in the air and only fed more into her ominous emotional state.

The castle had been her home for her whole life, and she knew every literal nook and cranny. Even before its 20th century rebirth and continuous upgrades to a state of the art security system, the castle was always meant to be an impenetrable fortress of protection for refugees that sought safety within its walls. Other times it could also feel like nothing more than a prison when that same purpose of protection had many restrictions.

Her whole life seemed to be about nothing but restrictions, what she can and cannot do. Sure, they claimed it was because they loved her, but there was only one reason why they really did it; she was a freak. Different from everyone else in every way.

Nobody could really understand. It was because of what she was that she kept failing and messing up. How could she prove herself when she did not even know who she was except an amalgamation of two worlds, neither of which she belonged to.

She slowed her pace as she crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her head in frustration as she tried to hold back tears. Her acute hearing then detected faint heavy foot steps behind her, familiar ones she knew all too well.

No, she could not face him again, not so soon after what happened.

She ran for the nearest door she could find, ignoring the deep voice that called her name.

She had come into one of the science labs, one shared by one of her older brothers and the more science privy members of the clan. If someone like Dan were to find her there without permission, he would be very unhappy.

The lab was full of state of the art equipment that organizations like NASA would pay through the nose for; several areas were divided into sections devoted to the study of several branches of science such as chemistry, physics, engineering, and astronomy. It easily gave off the air of being a combined scene of something from Star Trek, the lab of Dr. Jekyll, and a techno shopping mall.

The sound of heavy footsteps came closer, prompting her deeper into the lab to find a place to hide when something caught her eye. In plain view on the center table was a device a little bigger than a wrist watch, shaped like a small shield with an unusual red and gold pattern.

It looked remarkably like a magical item she had been told stories about.

She quickly glanced back at the door of the approaching footsteps as she strapped the device to her left wrist. She opened it like a cover watch, easily entered a date from her thoughts and tried to pronounce correctly what she could remember of her Latin.

"Deslegrate muri temi et intervalia!"

Intense but painless and heatless warmth engulfed her as she became surrounded by a sphere of light made of fire that dazzled in a plethora of bright colors of whites, yellows and blues.

The door slowly opened as though from an old reel in a black and white suspense movie, which may or may not have been a side effect for the device's power. The sphere of light had faded to a small point of light by the time the door fully opened to frame the large silhouette of a gargoyle's figure, slightly outlined by a lavender coloring and dark hair.

His wide eyes watched with worry and surprise as he watched his daughter disappear within the untested Phoenix flame.

It was indeed the city that never sleeps, for activity in many forms was unending during the day and even into the night. The city was a small galaxy with its clusters of lights shining with ethereal luminosity that blanketed the city in a form of never ending pseudo-daylight. It also had a continuous rhythm that its inhabitants had always danced to for countless decades that was composed in an orchestra of blaring horns, the roars of combustion engines, and the ever comforting presence of the hustle and bustle of people.

Unfortunately, even within the assuring sights and sounds of this great city there is silence and shadows, a great unseen underworld that is too often overlooked. Precious few have looked into it, for it is a dark and dangerous world filled with predators that went bump in the night.

For those that suffered from it most, they dared to hope for salvation from the dark, and indeed it came in a form most unexpected.

The red and blue bubble lights of five police cars and a paramedic ambulence flashed and danced outside of a jewelry and coin pawn shop in one of the rougher parts of Manhattan. Uniformed officers hulled out cuffed and angrily ranting members of a dozen or so would be robbers, all known members of a notorious jewelry robbing gang. Many of its members were known for more than just petty robbery; other offenses that counted against them included rape, attempted and first degree murder, vandalism, drug possession, and plenty of other offenses that gave them rap sheets three miles long.

Too many of them had evaded arrest for years, but now this latest offense was enough to put most of them away for 20 years or more.

Among the police officers and scraggy criminals was a trio of good friends smiling with pride at this latest apprehension of a criminal gang.

"Good work, people," praised Captain Chavez.

High solutes were given to the captain by the dashingly uniformed officers in prideful acknowledgement before they drove the full squad cars to the stations for booking the gang.

The owner of the shop, a mousy, balding, middle aged man even gave the captain and the two detectives personal handshakes of gratitude and whispered to Matt to give his thanks to their friends that assisted them. He then boarded the emergency ambulance that would take him and his minorly injured wife to the hospital.

Chavez turned to face two of the best police detectives she has had the honor of serving with, Elisa Maza and Matt Bluestone, the most decorated 2nd class detectives of the 23rd police precinct.

Smiles graced the three colleagues' faces in this latest victorious triumph of righteous protect and serve in the name of justice.

From atop the lonely pawn shop leaped forth three more figures, seemingly alien and mysterious in their quiet grace and terrifying in their animalistic appearances. Yet the three friends knew not to be frightened for they knew these figures to be friends; allies; fellow defenders of the night.

Elisa smiled lovingly and proudly as she confidently walked up to the largest of the three mythical figures who wrapped a brawny powerful arm around her in quiet gentleness as though she were the most fragile and precious thing in the world. Warrior forearm shakes were exchanged in partnership and respect, a young couple put their arms around each other with adoring smiles.

"Like I said, good work, people," Maria repeated her prior statement as she authortively and proudly shook each of the gargoyles' forearms as fellow warriors.

"Thank you, Captain," Goliath rumbled with a smile, "It was all a team effort."

Maria gave a nod of agreement as she said, "That notorious gang has been a thorn in this city's side for nearly two years. Thanks to you we now have enough probable cause to put them away for a long time. Of course. . ."

Maria gave a mock glare to Broadway as she continued, "There may have been a bit more evidence if *someone* hadn't crushed so many guns."

Broadway's aqua face turned a slight red in embarrassed shame, he folded his hands behind his back, and his taloned foot scratched the ground absentmindedly as he said, "Sorry, force of habit."

Everyone simply gave looks of sympathetic understanding; Angela lovingly wrapped a strong slender arm around Broadway's burly shoulders.

"It's okay, Broadway," Elisa reassured the bulky gargoyle as she patted his arm, "Enough still survived to at least give us a strong case."

Broadway gave a smile of relief as did Maria in amusement.

The group of friends and family shared a laugh as they began to walk down the sidewalk, away from the almost robbed pawn shop.

"Although I'm happy we were able to help the old couple and stop that gang from hurting them," Angela said, "It still surprises me a little how despicable humans can act towards each other sometimes."

"I've been on this job many years, Angela," Maria stated, "And although I've seen it many times, I know exactly how you feel. No matter how many times I see it I'll never understand it."

"Yeah, but thanks to you, Angela," Broadway said encouragingly, "That poor woman is going to be okay, and you even changed her mind about us."

"It's too bad we couldn't have gotten there sooner but it definitely could've been a lot worse," Matt concurred, "Instead of a dislocated shoulder, the poor woman would've been killed. If Angela hadn't kept her calm and you guys hadn't taken out the gang quickly enough this may have become more than just an attempted robbery, maybe even a double homicide."

The others gave wholehearted agreements.

Angela gave a small smile as she said thoughtfully, "It was wonderful when she called us guardian angels instead of demons or spawns of Satan. I just hope more humans understand that soon, that we mean them no harm, and that we are only here to help them. It reminds me of how proud I am of the Princess of how she named most of my brothers and sisters after angels."

"That's because you are an angel, My Love," Broadway cooed into her ear, making Angela giggle and give him a mock push.

Elisa and Goliath gave deep soulful gazes to each other; no words were needed to express how they felt.

Elisa quickly glanced to her wristwatch and gave a small gasp.

"I'm sorry, guys," she said quickly, "But I've got something to take care of before the night's done."

Goliath clearly became a bit disappointed while Maria simply said, "Alright, Detective. It's that favor the professor asked you about, right?"

"Yeah, we're not too far from where I need to be, all I need is a quick lift."

"I'd be happy to, My Love," Goliath happily rumbled as was about to lift Elisa close to him.

"Actually, Goliath," Maria said as she gently put a hand on his powerful bicep, a momentary thought passed at how hard and sinewy it was, "I was hoping we could talk some more."

He glanced at Maria and then back to Elisa, his face portrayed a neutral expression but his eyes showed brightly with the hope of a far different outcome.

"It's okay, Big Guy," Elisa said with a smile, "I should be back in plenty of time before dawn."

She then gave him a quick and loving hug and kiss, then looking to the other gargoyles for a volunteer to take to her next destination.

"I'll take you, Elisa," Broadway happily said. He gave Angela his own hug and kiss, which she returned with a gentle stroke of her knuckles over his brow ridge. The hefty aqua gargoyle then took Elisa up to a height for good gliding and was soon aloft in the soft winds.

Goliath and Angela did the same as they took Maria and Matt into their arms, soon heading in a direction opposite that of Elisa and Broadway.

"What do you wish to speak to me about, Captain?" Goliath asked when they were at a comfortable altitude.

"First off its Maria, okay?" she said with a laugh, "And I just wanted to talk about how impressed I am with how you handled the situation. First letting the detectives and me assert the situation before taking your clan in to prevent a violent outbreak. But I'm most impressed with how you tried to first reason with the gang's leader before subduing him. I also hope you'll be alright from that bullet wound you took for the owner and Elisa."

Maria looked at Goliath's left bicep with sympathetic concern; it was heavily bandaged from a near fatal grazing wound.

"Thank you, Maria," Goliath rumbled appreciatively, "But do not concern yourself, it will heal at sunrise."

Even though she had been made aware of the nature of the gargoyles turning to stone during the day, it was still an astonishing fact to except.

"Well, I've been thinking," Maria continued thoughtfully, "If we can get the gargoyles better recognized by the law, you wouldn't have to hide anymore and continue with this vigilante like MO, but have the same basic rights and protection as everyone else. But if your clan wishes to continue protecting, they'd have to go through basic police training and earn their own badges. If that can be done, there'd be better cooperation between people and your clan."

Goliath looked away in thought for a moment, letting the possibility of such a compelling argument sink in.

"It's a very fascinating offer, Maria," The clan leader said, "I will have to speak to my clan about it."

Maria gave a supporting smile but her thoughts were interrupted as Matt said, "It's a really good idea, Captain, but it'll be all but impossible to do with people like Yale in office or Kowalski on the force."

"I know, Detective," she said in a sobering tone, "But for now you just leave Assistant DA Yale to me and we can handle Kowalski if he gets out of hand."

Although he said nothing aloud, Matt had a very real feeling that Kowalski going rogue would become all too real all too soon.

"I think it's a great idea," Angela said enthusiastically, "We should at least give it a try. Even if there will always be people like Yale or this Kowalski, I'm willing to try it."

Goliath gave a proud smile to his daughter, ever the idealistic young woman she has become for the natural unity between gargoyles and humans.

"Indeed, Angela," Goliath said, "We will discuss it with the clan first, and then see how events unfold."

Angela gave an affirmative nod, understanding all too well her father's caution.

They glided peacefully on the air currents, talking about the Captain's idea on the way back to the precinct.

An odd but slightly familiar itchy and staticy sensation suddenly loomed like a small wave across Goliath's neck, and a flickering of faint light was caught in the corner of his line of sight. As much as he tried to ignore it, he just felt a strange need to glance in a familiar direction. Although it was far off in the distance, a tiny speck of light caught his eye as it steadily grew over a building very near to the Eyrie.

"Is something wrong, Goliath?" Maria inquired.

"I thought I saw something," he said with a suspicious tone.

"I don't see anything," the police captain said as she looked around.

"Perhaps it was nothing."

The large gargoyle said nothing on the rest of the glide to the 23rd Precinct, his face an intimidating unreadable expression from many years of discipline, but his eyes gleamed with a steel sword's edge.


	2. Chapter 2

The warmth within her chest was painless, but it was still overwhelming. Within the hypnotic flames the outside world faded in and out of sight as though she were in hypnogogia, the state between asleep and waking, the image of the science lab was quickly overtaken by a city scene of glamorous lights.

The psychedelic colors of the Phoenix flame finally faded, the new reality coming into focus as a spinning blur.

It took her logical mind a moment to realize that she was tumbling topsy turvy in the air out of control. Although trained for such a situation her leathery wings flared out rapidly to catch an updraft where there was none to catch in time.

The roof of a building approached her; or rather she did, with the speed of a bullet train and she hit down hard with a feeling like a ton of bricks. Drawing from her training, she rolled with her fall before finally coming to a sudden stop face down. Her mind plummeted into an inky vertigo, which became worse when she attempted to open her eyes to focus. She fought for strength to suppress the repulsive bile that threatened to rise from her throat and escape through her mouth.

A few agonizingly long seconds past before she was finally able to straighten herself from her awkward position and fend off of the last of her dizziness.

She would have to speak to the clan scientists about that last step; it was a real loo loo. That is if she ever decided to go back, or would even be able to.

As she straightened from her fall she could already feel the threat of mild aches and pains all over her body. When she moved her left wing joint a hot stinging pain bit at the muscle and surrounding tissue, fortunately it was not so bad that she could not glide for short distances. She would be okay within a day or two thanks to a little sleep, although, sometimes she wished that she healed as fast as her older blue skinned and ebony haired sister.

She momentarily winced from the pain as she straightened herself to take better note of her location.

She stood atop a rooftop directly across from the Eyrie Building, Castle Wyvern within perfect view. It was comforting and strange how little it had seemed to change throughout the years. The city itself did not seem so different either, with its dazzling bright lights and far off distant echoing tempo of sound. In other ways it felt alien to her; dimmer, smaller, quieter.

Walking around the rooftop she could see that many of the buildings were the same and yet different somehow. Some had not yet been remodeled in the way she knew them, and off into the distance she saw twin rectangular towers, one with a prominent antenna atop it, in place of what she had known to be something completely different.

Continuing her walk around the rooftop, her sharp night vision spotted three silhouettes gliding in the distance. She was unsure if it was any of the clan, but she did know that she did not want to meet any gargoyles of this time period yet, one in particular.

She ducked behind the wall quickly as she watched the trio of gargoyles glide away in silence.

Instinct alerted him before the irritating noise of his internal sensor alarm, even through his intense focus he was sure something was amiss. He turned his glaring sharp red eyes towards the direction of the mysterious anomaly only to see quiet nothingness.

"Is something wrong, Coldsteel?" inquire Darius from his right in Delta form.

"My sensors seemed to detect a peculiar oddity from somewhere near the Eyrie tower for a moment."

"Do you suppose it poses a threat?"

"I'm not sure, though I would not put it past my brother and his clan that it is. He may be a soft hearted fool but he's not an idiot when it comes to dangers to his clan."

"Perhaps you're sensing another small avian again," Darius smirked.

Coldsteel gave a chilling look that embodied his name and would have even chilled Darius' blood if he had seen it.

"I had the problem fixed a short while ago, and I indeed know a strange disturbance from an air borne sparrow," the robotic gargoyle said with a toneless voice.

"Is the disturbance in any way imperative to the mission?" Typhon asked from Coldsteel's left.

"Of course not," Coldsteel said with a civil tone, "However it is quite curious."

"Then we should focus on our task," the red New Olympian bluntly said, "Investigation of the disturbance can wait."

"As you wish, my friend."

Typhon glared at the metallic being with distaste.

"I fail to understand why your leader is having us perform this task. It's pointless, and it inhibits me from my real mission."

"It's simple, my friend," Coldsteel said, "We perform a few tasks to help Thailog with his endeavors and he uses his resources to help us with what we need."

"It's a bargain we all benefit from," Darius concurred, "I am promised proper resources for my arcane studies, Coldsteel in time will find retribution, and you will not only find your wayward rookery brother faster but you also have the assurance that no humans will be able to find your island home again."

Typhon was silent at this. Although he knew it to be true to a point, he had very strong doubts about this so-called alliance. However, he preferred it to the alternative.

The sooner he found Icarus, the sooner he could leave and let these others do with the humans as they wished.

Until a better option presented itself, he will play along with these ridiculous games.

For now.

He flew towards the source of the strange light; an innate instinct drew him to it as an unseen cosmic force that drove him with curiosity as well as suspicion. On a subconscious level, he thought of a need to protect something, or someone, more precious than life itself.

Part of him hoped that this was only a wild goose chase, as Elisa would put it, that his feeling of uneasiness was baseless.

Although Angela objected to him being alone after returning their police friends back at the precinct, he assured her that he would return to the castle after he had taken care of a personal matter.

With the grace of an eagle and silence of night, he flew upon the winds towards his quarry.

She took a peek over the wall to watch the trio of gargoyles fly away into the night, and see flying parallel to them and towards her was a large familiar shadow.

How did he find her so quickly? Did he actually follow her through the flames?

However he found her, she just could not face him. She ran with tenacity to the opposite end of the building, leaped into the open air and flared her wings so quickly a sudden burst of stinging pain made her flinch and momentarily unsteady.

All she needed was a chance to get away.

****Prosperous Antique Books

"Wow, what is this place?" Broadway asked in awe as he gracefully landed near the bookshop and gingerly put Elisa on her feet.

"An old bookstore that buys, sells, and even trades old books of all kinds. I once heard that it might be so old that it was around when New York was still called New Amsterdam."

Broadway smiled impressed while Elisa looked at the front door with its 'Closed' sign and became lost in thought.

"I wonder if it has any old copies of detective books like Sherlock Holmes or Sam Spade or even Dickson Hill," Broadway said aloud.

Elisa shook her head in amusement at the big gargoyle's enthusiasm. To think that once he had actually turned his nose up at the idea of reading.

"I'll be sure to ask, Broadway," the detective assured him, "You just wait out here 'til I'm done asking this guy a few questions, alright?"

He gave a quick thumbs-up before swiftly climbing a nearby wall and keeping out of sight and an eye out for trouble.

Elisa did not even give two knocks at the door before it opened slightly with a small brass bell chime and reveal a small portion of an elderly man's face, his bright blue eye gayly twinkling.

"I'm closed, young lady," he said with a friendly tone, "Is there something I can help you with?"

Elisa held up her badge for him to see, his brow raised a bit.

"Detective Maza, sir. Your friend Professor MacDuff asked me to check on you. I understand that your store was broken into a few nights ago by a gargoyle. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

"A moment," he said politely as he shut the door, removed a security chain, then reopened the door and allowed Elisa entrance.

Broadway watched from a nearby rooftop and waited patiently for his friend's return.

****Over Manhattan

The city blurred into an unperceivable vision of hypnotic luminosity, the skyline a challenging maze of obstacles that dared her to overcome them. The challenge was made ever more difficult by the straining ache in her shoulder and wing joint, but she pushed ever past it to escape her pursuer.

As she approached a tall building, swiftly adjusting her wings she turned to her right to make her way around the building, her winged reflection in the glass rippled as a distorted silhouette upon flowing crystal waters, any one who got a quick glance through their window would only momentarily see a rapidly passing winged humanoid form.

When she made a quick clear turn of the building she dared a quick glance behind her.

Her pursuer continued his chase.

The ache was becoming unbearable, she needed a quick escape.

Goliath was sure his eyes were deceiving him. As he approached the source of the strangeness he sensed earlier, he glimpsed to his confusion the retreating form of a female gargoyle with coppery gold skin coloring and dark hair. For a moment he could have sworn that it was Elisa in gargoyle form again.

But that could not be. He had seen his love not twenty minutes ago.

Answers were needed, but he will need to tread cautiously if he were to find them. He did not want to frighten the Elisa-like female, but he could easily observe that she was trying very hard to avoid him.

He also saw how she wavered and struggled hard to stay aloft on the wind, deep concern grew within the medieval warrior at the thought that she might be hurt.

"Wait! Who are you?" he cried loudly enough to be heard but not frighten the fleeing gargess too much, his thunderous voice momentarily echoing in the city canyons.

She did not respond, either she did not hear him or was determined to avoid him. With determination in his heart, he gave his mighty thundercloud wings powerful flaps as he attempted to catch up with the fleeing gargess.

The pain had become intolerable now; the longer she tried to stay aloft the more it felt like she had burning razor needles in her shoulder. In desperation she glided in for a landing to the nearest building, each flap of her wings like an agonizing fire. She stumbled ungracefully like a hatchling newly learning to glide, grabbing her left shoulder as she turned a corner to hide behind the top floor's exit wall. She waited a minute as she listened for the distant whoosh of wind that told her the pursuer was gone.

It felt like forever that she had to wait until she felt it was safe to move. Gently gripping her hurt shoulder, she turned the next corner looking behind herself to make sure she was alone and with the thought of finding a safe place to sleep for the day only to suddenly bump into a living brick wall. Her shoulder stung with excruciating pain as she caught herself landing on her tush, just saving from being hurt the bones in the area where her spine met her tail.

She looked up and up to find the strong and commanding presence of Goliath, his face a chiseled serious expression and his onyx eyes shined with a serious and yet demanding patience.

Momentary panic overcame the dark haired adolescent as she struggled back from the lavender giant, yelping with incoherent sounds of fear.

"Wait! I won't hurt you," he gently tried to call. For a moment he thought he heard the mysterious gargess say 'Yeah, right.'

She ran with tired gusto to the opposite end of the roof for another escape, but pain erupted with vengeance as she flared her wings again making her cry, "UNNGH!"

She gripped the wall hard with her talons, creating small scratches on it, as she fell to her knees and only then noticing the large approaching shadow of Goliath.

"You're hurt," the clan leader observed, "Gliding is indeed invigorating, but clearly the chase has worn you. Please, flee not from me again."

He steadily stepped closer to her as she tried to right herself. He gingerly reached out a hand to help her but instead she flinched, momentarily losing her balance, squeezed her eyes shut tightly and leaned far back over the wall. A small squeak of fear escaped her throat.

Goliath became confused by her reaction to him, as though she were a hatchling that expected a terrible punishment that would wreak his most terrible wrath. He stepped back a bit from the strange young gargess, hoping she would understand his unhostile intent.

A long minute past as he simply observed her, there was indeed a strangeness about her that he could not quite place, then something on her wrist caught his eye. He quickly grabbed her left wrist and took a closer look at the object she wore. It was a familiar looking shield shaped object half the size of his palm, a firebird surrounded by a gold trim at the edges flared its fire plumed wings in freedom, instead of curve in upon itself while trying to escape, upon a background of crimson instead of blue.

"Let go!" the young gargess exclaimed as she pushed at Goliath's massive chest, the pain in her shoulder and wing joints continued to scream inside her muscules, "Let me go!"

Goliath gently let go of her wrist and she finally ceased struggling.

"Who are you?" the brawny gargoyle asked with the hint of a low growl in his tone. A long awkward silence past between them as she stubbornly looked away from him with her arms tensely crossed in refusal to answer.

He waited with a deep discipline for her to answer when she finally answered with a heavy deep sigh, "Your daughter."

Goliath looked at her with raised brow ridges.

"That's not possible," he rumbled, "I already have a daughter, Angela."

"Yeah," she retorted, "Big sister 'Gela, little miss perfect-greatest-daughter-in-the-world."

He was taken aback a bit by her attitude filled retort, but he kept himself composed. Answers were needed.

"If you are my daughter, as you claim," he said with authoritive patience, "How can it be? Who's your mother? And why are you here?"

"Can't you tell?" she snided, "As to why I'm here, I don't want to talk about it, you'd never understand. I shouldn't even be talking to you."

Goliath looked her over, a strange feeling of hope and intrigue grew within him as well as a disciplined parental instinct from handling stubborn and rebellious adolescents in his career as clan leader. As he looked her over, he wondered if she was telling the truth. She did have coppery skin and human features very much like Elisa's own, but there were a few small differences in cheek, chin, and facial structures, mostly how she looked no more than seventeen in age. Her hair, brow ridges, ears, elbow spurs, wings and tail were all like his own as though someone had taken Elisa's form and surgically attached without any flaws his gargoyle form to her. Her hands, wings, and feet all had one extra digit to them; her feet were a little more than half the size of a gargoyle her height, her wings were a deep cocoa brown on the inside and thundercloud black on the outside and her tail was long and whip like. She was more than 6 feet tall with an athletic young build and wore a pair of denim shorts down to her spurless knees and a blue shortened short sleeved shirt with a bat symbol flaring its wings which showed a big amount of her midriff.

What had to be most striking about her were her eyes, a deep earthy brown that burned with a deep spiritual fire just like,

"Elisa."

"Ding, ding, ding! Right on the first guess," she quipped.

Goliath raised an eye ridge at her, becoming a bit annoyed by her stubborn wisecracking attitude. Although he was intrigued by such a possibility, an uneasy feeling grew within him.

"Did Sevarius create you?" he asked with slight suspicion, unsure of how else to word his question.

"What?!" she yelled with insult in her voice, "That Dr. Moreau wannbe! Dragon god, no! That guy's a total freak and psycho nutcase, a total jackass. The things he's done to the clan, how he treated 'Teena, what he almost did to Mom and Aunt Maggie."

Goliath's eyes widened a bit at what could only be things that are yet to happen. If Sevarius has yet to do something horrible to his beloved Elisa and gentle Maggie, he would tear that sick human's head from his body. As to who 'Teena' was, he knew no one by that name, human or gargoyle. He then winced in sympathy as he saw the coppery gargess move her shoulder in pain.

"You've hurt yourself," he said gently, "Let me look at it, please."

She turned around reluctantly to let him look at her injured shoulder. She winced when he touched near the wing joint that connected to her shoulder blade, which had been slightly dislocated. He warned the hybrid female of his intent as he remembered basic healing training from his younger warrior days. At the popping sound of reset bone and tendon, she shouted a sound like a combined human scream and the screech of a bird of prey.

"Better?"

"Yeah," she said with small gratitude as she tenderly rolled her shoulder.

"Thanks, Da. . .uh, Goliath."

"That talisman that you wear," he inquired without sounding suspicious, "It looks like the Phoenix Gate, but I understand that it was destroyed."

"This isn't the real Phoenix Gate," she said with teenage angst, "It's just a funky time-travel doohickey that's modeled after it. And don't ask me how it works 'cause I don't know."

"If you are from the future, then there must be some purpose to you presence in this time, a task that you need to fulfill."

"I'm not here to fulfill some great all important thing," she yelled mockingly, "I just wanted to get away."

Goliath's brow furrowed slightly, "From what?"

"Nothing," she mumbled.

After a short minute she gave a small sigh as she whispered, "Everything."


	3. Chapter 3

A pair of far off silhouettes came within view of his optic sensors. Willing his optics to a superior magnification for a more detailed view of his targets, surprise and doubt surged through him as he observed what was viewed before him.

Surely this had to be some sort of trick. After weeks of futile searching they truly were here in the city as he had always suspected. But surely, if it were truly them he would have sensed them, detected their signals from so close a distance.

This may have been some kind of illusion to fool him, further investigation was needed.

With his allies needing more strength to keep up, he willed his thrusters towards his targets.

Desdemona glided up quietly and gracefully as a butterfly up to Othello, her lovely caramel wing brushing playfully against his stony blue grey wing. His usually stoic face softened to a smile as he glimpsed the wide toothy smile his lifemate gave him as she held out her hand.

"It's a quiet night, My Love," she said wistfully, "What say we complete our patrol early and return to the castle."

"A good suggestion, My Love," Othello said as he grasped his mate's hand, "I'm eager to learn how went our brother's patrol with the lady captain."

Desdemona's smile faded, wondering if her lifemate will ever get the hint of when she was feeling frisky. The snowy haired garg then went a bit wide eyed as he said, "Of course, my Beloved, if you had other thoughts in mind. . ."

Desdemona's smile returned to light her beautiful features just as a deadly red beam shot past them, making the lovers lose their romantic handhold.

They separated quickly from each other as a roaring rocket engine and a metallic silvery figure flew between them as a living missile, laughing maniacally.

"Coldsteel!" growled Othello between his teeth, his eyes glowing white hot.

"Well, well, we meet again, my truant siblings," the silver android mocked the lovers, "I search endlessly in this overly fortified island for weeks and finally I have found you. And in new forms it seems, how intriguing. How you came to be this way must be fascinating. Goliath's whelp said something about you going to a magical island, no doubt it's where you were able to become as you are now. Such a pity you chose to renounce your technological forms, never truly appreciating the power you had been granted. Well, I will not be so foolish."

Othello roared in defiance from his diaphragm at his robotic brother as he soared in for a vengeful attack upon the remaining member of the Coldtrio. Desdemona tried to call out for her love to stop, but with twice the speed of a striking cobra, Coldsteel once more unleashed his signature tentacles from his arm gauntlets and easily ensnared Othello by his neck. The withering tentacles shot at Desdemona like living metallic snakes which she was able to evade shortly with her unrivaled grace in the air before she became ensnared by them at her arms and legs.

Coldsteel pulled his restored siblings towards himself as his rocket pack allowed him to hover effortlessly in the air, his enhanced memory banks taking in every detail.

"Indeed, dear Coldstone, you're no longer that much of a challenge without your cybernetic implants," Coldsteel said with a bit of disappointment in his voice as Othello struggled against the choking restrain of the slithering tentacles, trying in vain to loosen their constricting grip with his strong talons.

"And you, fair Coldfire, unable to soar from the freedom of stone sleep and no longer gleam and shine in the sunlight."

Desdemona only snarled at her metallic would-be suitor with glowing red eyes as she struggled to free herself from the tentacles' constricting grasp.

"Of course, Beloved," he purred with his oily voice, "You will always be the most beautiful creature on this earth, no matter what your form, you even outshine the Sun itself."

"She's not *your* beloved! GAGHK!" Othello choked with murderous defiance in his eyes, Coldsteel's tentacles squeezed tighter around his neck to the point of suffocation and breaking Othello's neck.

"Not yet," Coldsteel stated casually, "But I will soon prove that it is to be, as well as who is the better successor for clan leader than the elder's pet champion."

"As I have told you many times before, Coldsteel," Desdemona yelled as she struggled, "*I* choose who I love, and it was never *you*!"

Coldsteel gave an icy stare to the split winged gargess as his red eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. He was about to unleash a special weaponized upgrade, one of several, on the lovely female he always sought after when a rough voice with a heavy Middle Eastern accent shouted, "Hold, Coldsteel!"

Darius soared up to the magically animated android and his hostages with irritation coloring his face.

"I don't know," the Persian began to say, "what your personal vendetta is against these two, but it wasn't part of the night's mission; to only observe the clan's movements, not to engage them yet in battle."

Coldsteel's stare became a bit more sinister as his lips curved into a small smile.

"Perhaps you are right, Darius," he smirked, "However we can use them to our advantage."

"How so?"

"As I told you, Goliath may be a soft hearted fool but he's not stupid when his clan is in danger. If my siblings here are patrolling the city then surely he is as well. If we have them put in danger just long enough then Goliath will come to rescue them."

Darius smirked wickedly at this thought; if he could even get a small taste of vengeance then perhaps his time in this human infested burg and this alliance would not have been wasted. It would at least make a good start.

"Very well, we shall try it your way for now, Coldsteel."

"(Kaff)We…don't need…(Choke)Goliath…(Ack)to fight you(Choke)…Fiend(Gag)," Othello choked out each word as he fought against his robotic brother's strangling hold.

"Not yet," Coldsteel snided as he suddenly tossed Othello into a high story of a nearby building's steel skeleton, sending the horned blue grey gargoyle into a dizzying tumble across the floor level.

"Othello!" Desdemona shouted as she witnessed her lifemate be flung through the air as though an old ragdoll. A sudden surge of electricity shot through her body making her screech before she went limp and blackout.

"It would have been too easy to simply destroy then out right anyway," Coldsteel smirked, "Where's the fun in that."

The two villainous allies shared a laugh as their third soon glided to them, his face remained stoic and serious.

The world became a hazened black whirlwind, his body an aching shell and his head a dizzying aching storm. He seemed to tumble for a long while before he finally came to a slowed stop face dawn. His head spun and ached nearly as much as his throat ached as he gasped and coughed for a fresh gulp of his denied breath of life. As he grasped his neck, he could already feel the tender flesh forming a fresh bruise.

It took Othello nearly a minute to stop his head from spinning and his vision to clear before he was able to take in his surroundings. The level of the building's skeleton had only a large part of its floor in the process of being constructed, the unmade walls opened to the velvet night air. The construction site had been abandoned by the human workers for the night, the only evidence of their recent activity were the many stockpiles of recently used equipment and tools set aside and put away for the night. Large plastic covers that concealed incomplete projects reflected and gleamed with the essence of faint city lights and rustled faintly with the night air as though quiet yet restless phantoms.

Othello pressed past his aches as he righted himself from his humiliating tumble. He searched among the construction tools for ones that might work best as formidable weapons, a brief thought passing about his rookery's orange skinned clever sister and how he never got to know her better.

Many of the tools he found he did not remember the names for nor imagine what uses they were meant for. The best that he could find to suit him was a 3 foot long piece of metal with a U shaped end with angled ridges inside its curve. He also found a device like a gun that shot hot plugs of some kind that he remembered seeing humans use from his Coldstone days.

Othello quickly took his improvised weapons to a shadowed corner to witness his love still unconsciously entangled by his evil brother's tentacles and the silver figure speak with a yellow gargoyle.

"I must say," Darius smirked, "She is an attractive female."

"Yes," Coldsteel pridefully agreed, "The fairest and most graceful in the old clan. What she sees in my brother as a mate, I don't know. He gave up pursuing her and she even had doubts about their relationship that she even tried to go after Goliath. They're only together because of convenience, never understanding that she was always rightfully meant to be my mate. Coldstone never truly appreciated what beauty he possessed, what perfect eggs she can create. No doubt of course my brother's hatchling would have been a weak mongrel among the rest of the clan's lost eggs."

Having heard all of this from his shadowed hiding place, red anger grew within Othello's chest. How dare he speak of his lifemate and son that way; his faithful Desdemona as a slut and trophy to be possessed and noble Gabriel as though worst than a 'runt of the litter.'

With the giant wrench in hand, Othello leaped forth in battle frenzy, roaring in angry rage as his eyes glowed angry alabaster white.

Coldsteel never saw what came at him in time; Othello swung the wrench with all his might, creating a huge dent in Coldsteel's face. It was more of a painful annoyance than a fateful blow, but enough of a distraction for the metallic tentacles to loosen their grip and allow the stony grey warrior to grab his beloved mate with one arm.

The silver gargbot gave a sound of more surprise than pain. Anger welled within him, a metallic growl rippled from his throat as he clutched his face feeling the deep dent where he was hit. He sensed his internal systems already running self diagnostics and the body attempted to repair itself.

Static literally blurred Coldsteel's vision for a few brief seconds, but between snowed visions he saw his brother soar away to the ground with his mate.

With precious burden in arm, the gallant warrior glided to the firm ground but never wavered should he lose her limp form. He landed with a shaky gentleness, kneeled slowly as he cupped Desdemona's cheek and cradled her close to his strong body.

"My Love?" Othello hurriedly whispered, worry coloring his deep voice. The caramel tan gargess stirred in his arms as she slowly opened her eyes, a small smile graced her lips.

It was momentarily returned before she shouted, "Look out!"

Without warning there came a deafening explosion and blinding flash from a laser blast, without looking behind himself Othello dodged forward, clutching his love tightly in his arms. At just one step he was struck with fast flying shrapnel and Coldsteel's striking tenticles, horrible burning pain shot at his lower left ankle and just at the area where his wing webbing meets the right side of his back.

"ARRGH!" the blue grey warrior screamed, but did not slow his pace.

With all of his endurance and determination, he carried his lifemate as he searched for a safe place as he dodged around a living forest of metal vines.

"I shall destroy you!" Coldsteel shouted with heated rage, a real threat that he was sure to keep.

Static continued to interfere with Coldsteel's optics making it more difficult to target his prey, and making him miss Othello by inches. His powerful tentacles shot out and created deadly arching electrical sparks, but when they missed his target Coldsteel used his arm lasers, shooting the furious red lightening.

Despite his precious burden, Othello was able to dodge these attacking obstacles until he was able to turn a corner and found shelter in a covered work area for his love to recover in; have only suffered a few deep scratches to his body.

"I should be alright, my brave Othello," Desdemona said achingly as he gently laid her down in the shadow of a giant long necked metallic monster near a pile of large square stones.

"I just need to catch my breath," she assured him.

With the gentleness of a summer breeze, he stroked her brow with his knuckles and gradually made his way to her hair, a small smile lighting the normally stoic warrior's face.

A sudden blast erupted nearby as though a dormant volcano had chosen now to unleash its suppressed fury, a thick rain of dust and debris engulfed the timeless lovers.

"Stay here!" he quickly ordered.

A snarl creased his face as he dashed through the dusty fog. With improvised weapons in hand, Othello emerged from the fog as though an angel of justice, roaring a challenge.

Coldsteel's lasers blazed on Othello's trail as he leaped from the construction material to the support beams, biting his strong claws into the metal to gain height for gliding. With a leathery snap of wings and a raging roar, Othello soared towards Coldsteel, evading the robot's lasers enough that the heat only slightly singed his hide, and finally swung his giant wrench into Coldsteel's right shoulder, doing enough damage to make a bigger and more damaging dent but not truly harm his metallic brother.

Coldsteel groaned in surprised frustration more than pain from the last hit, momentarily clutching his shoulder. Through the irritating static that continued to often cloud his sight, his formerly cyborg brother was a blurred vision that kept fading in and out. If not for this annoying problem, he would have beaten his weakened brother easily.

Coming to the aid of his comrade, Darius quickly fired off two shadow bolts of living darkness at Othello, then hitting the Manhattan warrior in the face and shoulder with his wing, causing Othello to struggle and waver on his flight path.

Darius may have disadvantages in aerial combat, but as a webwinged type he was still swift and cunning.

"No!" Coldsteel growled, "He's mine!"

An annoyed dirty look colored the Persian necromancer's face as he looked back at his metallic ally.

"Very well, then!" he snided in a toneless voice, making a mental note to himself of when to appropriately aid his allies.

Othello quickly regained control of his momentum, drawing up the large nail gun in his left hand as he circled around for another attack on his adversaries. He fired several shots that made them scatter; some even made clear hits into Coldsteel's abdomen that would have been the death of a living creature.

The static having finally cleared enough from his optic sensors to see but an occassional flickering, he fired his laser at Othello, destroying the powerful nail gun, and a second laser shot hit him on his left side of his waist.

"GAAH!" Othello yelled as he gripped his wound.

Coldsteel smiled sinisterly as he watched his injured brother struggle in the air and shakily glide his way into the building's skeleton.

Having landed on the high roof of the crane's cockpit minutes before, Typhon had been observing the battle with unimpressed semi-interest. His so-called allies engaged in pointless battle with gargoyles he did not know, nor did he have any quarrel with. No doubt they only did it out of personal grudges or sadistic pleasures he did not understand.

He wasn't sure what was worse, that they dared to call themselves gargoyles when they clearly had no real need to protect or that they willingly fought against other gargoyles.

The bright red New Olympian simply crossed his broad arms over his powerful chest as he waited out the fight.

Othello forced himself back into the shadows of the metal skeleton, stumbling as he searched for a place to quickly recover. He landed on a midsection opened two floors from where he had crashed previously, slightly out of sight of his enemies. Breathing hard and clutching his wounded waist, he thought of what to do next. The one smart thing he knew he should do made him extremely reluctant, but Othello knew that he was outnumbered. Reluctantly putting aside his pride, he activated the earpiece comlink.

"This is Othello," he quickly said, "My mate and I have been attacked by our evil brother, Coldsteel, and require assistance. He's with two others I don't recognize."

He then gave his location as best as he could and hoped that his message got through. He could not just wait for reinforcements; he was a bred warrior and had to do something. One thought then galvanized itself in his mind, he had to keep them away from Desdemona until she recovered enough to do battle with him or return to the castle. It might mean risking his life, but then he would do anything for his 'soul mate.'

He once more tightly gripped the giant wrench in his large hands as he leaped from the tall metallic maze screaming a battle cry as he began the next fight.

Goliath looked out into the direction his rookery brother described, having heard his request for assistance and being the closest to Othello's location. He leaped to the ledge before looking back at the mysterious young gargoyle.

"Come," he said quickly, "We are needed."

"Why?" she huffed.

Goliath's brow rose at her as he authortively stated, "Our clan is in danger, we must protect them because it is our way."

"Why should I? What can I do that'd make any difference? What makes you think I won't screw up and mess up the timeline?"

Goliath would have snapped at her had he not noticed the small moisture glassing her eyes and a clear strength that she held them back.

"I know you must have doubts," he said gently, "But Othello and Desdemona need us, please help me."

Her head whipped up abruptly, eyes widened as she saw the gentle giant that would be her father hold out his hand to her.

"Fine," she huffed again as she took his hand, only pretending not to care.

The pair launched themselves into the neon lit sky of the New York skyscape, heading to the aid of their clan mates.

It brought strange but wonderful memories to Goliath's mind as well as a feeling of having glided with this youngling before.

"You never told me your name," he said casually.

"Just call me Fledgling," she said a bit sarcastically, "It's all you've called me lately anyway."

Goliath's brow again rose a bit, but decided to keep focused. Despite his limited experience with time travel compared to Brooklyn's, he knew not to ask too many questions about the future.

One thing he was sure of, she was something to be proud of in an unknown yet hopeful future.

For the Fledgling, all she wanted was a chance to prove herself.

Her friend's concern was appreciated, but sometimes she just needed to stretch her wings. Besides, she was not sure how much more she could take of that ridiculous so-called comedy show Andrea liked.

She had really grown tired of living in fear of that perverted bastard's shadow, and if he wanted to play these sick games, so be it. It will not keep her from finding one of his weaknesses, or more importantly checking on her daughter.

As though by the work of some strange divine hand, she spotted two gargoyle silhouettes on the near horizon. The large one could only be one that she knew well, and the other more slender one could only be one other.

Curiosity and concern drove her ever onward as she followed them at a close yet inconspicuous distance.

****Prosperous Antique Books

"So nothing was taken after the break in?" Elisa asked.

"I did a detailed inventory right after it happened, Detective, and I do one twice a week as I have for many years. I assure you that nothing was taken."

"That's good news, Mr. Proselli, but what do you think he was after?"

"I don't know, but I do know that he wouldn't have found it here."

Elisa took a few moments to write her notes down as Alonso Proselli took another sip of his hot tea. Although he had answered her questions truthfully, her innate detective instincts told her something more was going on. He had told her about the fight that took place and how he had defended himself with an old gun, yet she could see evidence of something more than just bullet holes, such as burn marks on the walls.

She finally closed her notebook as she said, "Thank you, Mr. Proselli, I think I have everything I need for now. Just off the record, I hope you don't think one break-in is an example of how all gargoyles are."

"Of course not, Detective," he said with a reassuring smile, "From what I've heard gargoyles are no different that humans. They are people, and I hold people accountable for their actions. I only hold malice to ne…nutcases that care not for life's precious gifts."

Elisa gave a small nod as she said, "As a police officer I've seen plenty of people like that, and it seems so easy to believe the worse from people and forget about the good that they're capable of too."

"Indeed," Alonso agreed, "It was hard for my daughter to accept when she had to finally go out into the world. You remind me of her a bit, someone who believes that there is good in everyone no matter what their flaws."

"Thanks. Where's she now?"

"Miranda is studying overseas; I don't know when I'll see here again. She does what she can to help my store whenever she can. Do you have children, Detective?"

"No, I've only been married a couple of weeks. I hope to some day, but I don't think that it's possible."

"Why's that?"

"My husband is. . .different from other men," Elisa said a bit apprehensively.

"Ah. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Elisa gave a small laugh as she said, "Thanks, Mr. Proselli, but unless you're a geneticist, some of who I'm not very fond of right now, or a wizard with a magic wand, I don't think there is."

"Perhaps," he smiled slyly.

They both got up from the table when Elisa snapped her fingers and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. I have a friend who's interested in classic mystery books. Do you have anything that he can't find at the library?"

"I may have something your friend would find interesting. Feel free to browse while I go find it."

Elisa looked around the bookshelves, admiring the old texts in wonder at what sort of knowledge they held. Some were about old beliefs that were considered nonsense today; while others were about subjects that were just in their infancy when they were first being studied. It made Elisa think that the place was trying to pass for a smaller and pre-modern Library of Alexandria. Broadway would indeed love to see this place, and it had been some time since she had seen it.

Behind the partially repaired cashier counter, Alonso opened a hidden box that he had kept for a long time. A wooden 19th century storage box with a thick steel lock. Opening the simple box he withdrew two old leather bound books, one he instinctively opened a page to without looking at the page number.

Walking steadily towards the detective, her back turned to him while she was occupied with browsing the shelves of old books, he muttered under his breath a peculiar Latin chant, a faint radiance of blue light came to his palm. Placing his hand gently on Elisa's shoulder, the radiance faded down to her like a shadow beneath the ocean.

A moment of dizziness past for Elisa, a small fog passing over her eyes. She simply thought it was due to stress of a long night, and the weak lighting in the shop as she skimmed a book. She gave her head a small shake before she noticed the kind shop owner's gentle hand on her shoulder and smiling at her.

"Here you are, Detective," he said as he handed her a thick leather bound book, "Something an old acquaintance of mine wrote himself. It's never been published, and personally I think it should be. Perhaps a third party's opinion will convince him."

"Thanks, Mr. Proselli," she said as he escorted her to the doors and she handed him her card.

"Here's my number if you think of anything else."

"Of course, Detective. Good night. And congratulations."

Elisa gave a small smile, her brow raised a bit in confusion. Broadway then landed in front of her a bit excited.

"How was it?" he quickly asked.

"I think you'd like it in there, it's hardly changed since I was here last back when I was in college. There's also the possibility that Darius has been here, and we need to tell the others."

Broadway gave a serious nod.

"What's this?" he asked as Elisa handed him the book.

"'Monster Mysteries: the Adventures of Nabilac' by Calvin Banner," he read, "Sounds interesting."

"Knowing where it's from I'm sure it will be," Elisa agreed wholeheartedly.

The two friends and clan mates made their way on the chilly night winds back to Castle Wyvern.


	4. Chapter 4

****The construction site.

Coldsteel had seen Othello's next attack microseconds before his next swing, had snatched the giant wrench from Othello's grasp, snapped it in two and punched the stony grey warrior in the face knocking him unconscious. He now hung limply forty stories high from one of Coldsteel's tentacles by his wrist. Laying at his feet on a steel girder was an unconscious Desdemona, her wings and right hand dangling limply over the edge. Shortly before, she had emerged from the shadow of the giant crane, seen only by Typhon, who gave no warning to his comrades, to assist her lifemate against their wicked brother.

All Coldsteel now bore from her attack were a few deep scratches that rapidly healed themselves.

Standing beside his metallic ally, Darius complained, "My patience wanes, Coldsteel, I'm beginning to doubt this plan of drawing Goliath here to rescue his clan mates."

"Then doubt no more, my friend," Coldsteel said smugly, his optic sensors magnifying an approaching bogie, "Our guest of honor has finally arrived."

Goliath soared over the construction site as a giant bird of prey, his eyes alighting with their angry white glow at the sight of what he saw.

"Coldsteel!" he roared as he flew closer to his rogue robotic brother, "Release him, now!"

"If you insist," Coldsteel mocked smugly. The grip of his serpentine tentacle loosened, the limp form of Othello fell like a rock.

"NO!" Screamed Goliath, forcing his powerful wings back to dive after his unconscious rookery brother, but he was intercepted by something that hit him like a small living missile.

The world became a grey blur as Goliath rolled and fought with his yellow attacker. They landed hard on a floored level, allowing the dark haired warrior a chance to throw his attacker off of him and leap to a fighting stance.

Somehow, he was not too surprised to face the thin webbed winged yellow form of Darius.

"So, we meet again, O Naïve Council Leader," the necromancer mocked.

Goliath just gave a low menacing growl.

The grey warrior was heavy, but with only skill, determination, and a little luck she flew him to a safe place within the lower levels of the incomplete building and laid down Othello as gently as she could. His weight and the glide had put a bit more painful strain on her already sore wing joint.

As the Fledgling hybrid laid him down, she quickly slapped his face.

"C'mon, wake up," she urged as she continued to slap him, "This is no time a nap, we need you."

Othello gave a small groan at her face slaps.

"Finally," she vented as Othello slowly began to open his eyes.

"I knew you had to be alive, Uncle Othello. Now don't just lay here like a lazy bum, you're tougher than this. Now get back in the game."

His vision was hazy; all he could see was a familiarly shaped female shadow of some kind.

"Angela?" he slurred in a low voice.

"Yeah, whatever."

Now knowing that Othello should be okay, the Fledgling made her way back outside to help her future father.

Othello rubbed his head of its oncoming aches as his vision cleared a bit. An odd sight cleared before him as he witnessed a young coppery tan gargoyle take to the wind.

"Elisa?" Confusion colored his face.

Out in the construction site, Typhon was losing patience with his allies. He did not know who the two newcomers were, but they certainly put the gargoyle machine and the yellow Persian into more of a fighting frenzy.

Enough time had been wasted, his patience with them had become thin and there were more important things to do. He took to the air, circled around the future skyscraper as he witnessed a tan colored adolescent glide up the building to a higher level. He simply watched with reserved curiosity when a living blue force hit him sideways with the speed of a falcon and the strength of a raging bull.

A blur of red and blue rocketed through the zigzagging steel forest of the skeletal building's incomplete levels until Typhon was able to throw his attacker off of himself in a spin throw.

"Who dares?!" he growled as he grabbed a vertical pillar and landed on a steel beam perpendicular to it, a view of similar crisscrossing metal like confusing paths before him.

A blue female appeared before him, as though an ancient fierce fury of legend out to wreak vengeance. She wore tight denim shorts and a pink spaghetti strap shirt, her eyes glowed with red fire, and her hair was a pale sunset gold with small red highlights.

Bearing her fangs, she growled in challenge at Typhon.

"I understand you're only protecting your own," he said with dignity, "But I have no quarrel with you."

"If you're allied with those fools," Demona snarled, "Then you are my enemy. Do what you want with Goliath and his misguided clan, but I will not allow you to harm my daughter!"

A bird of prey shriek escaped her throat as she leaped at the scarlet New Olympian. He easily leaped up from his position to a higher level, his wings flaring wide open to catch a strong air current.

He tried to use the steel forest to his advantage, gliding in a random zigzagging pattern to lose his pursuer, but she easily dodged and overcame the obstacles before her.

He was momentarily impressed, but if she wished to fight then he would gladly oblige, if just to humor her.

The brawl had been brief, but already the two opponents sustained heavy bruising, Darius slightly more so than Goliath, for he was a stronger and more experienced fighter than the sorcerer.

"I must admit," Darius said with a heavy gasp, "I'm unsurprisingly impressed. I suspected you were a better fighter than a politician, your type always is."

Goliath gave a small growl as he wiped a bit of blood from his nose with the back of his hand. Anger clenched at his chest, but he kept a dignified composure.

"Why are you here, Darius?" Goliath asked with controlled anger, "It's a waste of time for gargoyles to be fighting each other. If you've allied with Coldsteel or Thailog, they won't honor what they've promised to you, you'll only be betrayed in the end."

Darius gave a snort as he said, "Retribution, of course, for my humiliation at the council."

"Your failed coup at the council wasn't *my* doing," Goliath said with confident authority, "You chose to betray us, even threaten innocent lives to get what you wanted. The gathering was always about bringing our people together in unity and peace, and standing together as equals."

"I don't know what's more pathetic," Darius sneered, "Your stupidity or your hypocrisy. You insist on bringing clans together as one gargoyle nation and proclaim yourself its leader, but then turn your back on other gargoyles by marrying a creature outside your race, and beneath you for that matter."

Goliath's eyes glowed dangerously, but he restrained himself, merely growling in anger at the Persian gargoyle.

"You must indeed be the world's biggest fool, allowing your clan to be massacred and showing mercy to a weak species that only has contempt for you and wants you destroyed. Such weakness will only lead us to extinction. Have you no pride? No self-respect? You're the most gullible naïve fool of a gargoyle I've ever encountered. Have you no real vision of the future?"

Darius became confused as he saw the prideful smile that graced Goliath's handsome face as he said, "As a matter of fact, I do."

In a millisecond, a high pitched cougar roar was the only warning as a sudden missile hit Darius from his left, sending him reeling across the floor.

Several hard punches were thrown into Darius' torso and face by small yet strong fists, a strong youthful female voice shouting, "You shut your freakin' hole, you damn son of a bitch! You don't know the hell what crap you're talking about! Goliath's the greatest gargoyle in the world, but you don't see that 'cause you're a narrow minded brainless fascist asshole!"

She threw a rock hard punch into Darius' face, an ugly cracking sound signaling a broken nose.

He tried to slow the waterfall of blood that flowed from his broken nose as he saw a strange young gargoyle in a fighting stance, her eyes glowing an odd white color with a red aura.

"I don't know who you are, whelp," he angrily slurred, "But I will teach you to respect your betters."

"One problem with that," the Fledgling smirked, "I'm a slow learner."

"Then learn quickly," he growled as he began an ominous chant that gathered inky blackness into his hands, his eyes glowing strange dark blue.

The shadows around them began to flow and ungulate like thick liquid, they moved and took on life as though to break away from the inanimate objects sources that cast them.

She became disturbed by the dark magic for only a moment, but she only quipped, "Talk about casting shadows."

With rapid flaps of her wings, the Fledgling sent whatever debris there was flying into the dark sorcerer's face. He was startled for but a second, but enough for the disruption of his spell casting to work. In her next surprise move, she gracefully spun on one foot and rapidly swung her muscular leg in a graceful yet deadly high arched kick that made contact with Darius' face at the loud crack of its hit, knocking his unconscious instantly.

To Goliath's eyes, only one other had performed such an amazing stunt.

She looked at him with a smug youthful smile before saying, "Are you gonna stand there gawkin' all night? C'mon, let's get that robo loser."

She grabbed a piece of lose metal pipe then leaped into the sky with vigorous enthusiasm, Goliath close behind her.

A silver grey talon as sharp as a razor stroked the delicate flesh of a sleeping angelic face, a small movement to its ice cold touch signaled the stirring of quiet awakening.

A look of longing colored Coldsteel's face as he gazed upon his restored would-be love, behind which was a small self-loathing that he could no longer feel the nearly forgotten simple pleasures of living flesh.

A young impulsive voice shouted at him, "Hey, you walking can opener! Bet you can't catch me!"

As she made an exaggerated gesture with her hands at her temples as she made a loud raspberry noise with her tongue, Coldsteel simply stated smugly, "Ah, the ever impulsive drives of youth. How amusing."

"What's the matter, dumpster breath, you yellow? Oh, wait, that's the other guy," she mocked as she cackled hysterically, making Coldsteel sneer at her in disgust.

"You know, Iago, you always were the biggest jackass in the old clan, no question that Dad beat you at everything!"

"Foolish youngling!" the robotic gargoyle yelled as his rocket engine lifted him away from the unconscious Desdemona, who began to slip and waver a bit from the steel beam.

Goliath saw his caramel brown sister's plight as he glided to rescue her but instead became suddenly entangled by a metallic tentacle that drew him back.

"Nice try, brother, but she's mine. If I can't have her then no one shall!"

"Let him go, robo freak!" the Fledgling shouted as she swung the long pipe at Coldsteel's face.

"No, wait!" Goliath had shouted too late. As the pipe hit Coldsteel's face and made him lose his focus, he spun 180* and hit a steel beam. A slight painful electric shock only made Goliath momentarily yell, while simultaneously a small vibration from Coldsteel's bodily hit was enough to send the unconscious Desdemona into a high freefall.

The Fledgling caught Goliath in time as the serpentine tentacle lost its grip on the brawny clan leader, watching with shock as the split winged gargess fell to her doom. The coppery skinned hybrid flew the lavender giant as quickly as she could to a close level as he reassured her that he was alright and had had far worst shocks. She soared down a few levels in hopes of catching the gentle warrioress, when a grey blue figure soared out from the building's lower floored levels, caught the falling Desdemona and flew her up to a safer level.

The Fledgling landed on an open walled level two floors above where Othello and Desdemona may have landed, a look of shock colored her face, a feeling of guilt flooded through her.

The immortal warrioress threw a rapid punch at the scarlet stranger, who quickly blocked it in a strong hold with both of his brawny arms and swinging her arm away as her other fist hit him in the stomach. He rolled with it, not showing he was in the least affected by it, and at the next moment head butted Demona directly into the face.

She caught herself from falling between the open spaces of metal pillars and beams, clutching her nose as blood began to steadily flow from it. A peculiar sight suddenly caught her eyes as city lights momentarily blinded her vision.

Was this some kind of a trick to make her look like a fool again? Where was her daughter? Was that blasted Fae trickster behind this travesty?

When next she got her hands on that pointy eared little. . .

The strange coppery gargoyle looked at Demona, her expression going from something like shock then to anger. But it was not like contemptful anger that Demona had become accustomed to but rather an angst filled rebellious anger often found in adolescents towards critical elders.

The young female turned her back on the blue immortal as she flared her dark wings and faded into the dark sky.

A sudden fist hit the side of her face, but from her own great experience of millennium long fighting it had felt somewhat restrained.

Demona fell two more levels and landed on a floored level not far from where a bruised Othello gently cradle a groggy Desdemona.

"Sister?" the snowy haired warrior mused as the large red New Olympian gracefully landed in front of her.

"You're quite a skilled fighter, blue one," Typhon complemented with impressed sincerity, "Only one other female has ever been able to last so long in a battle with me as you."

He held out his hand to help Demona up to her feet, but instead she hissed at him as she ran on all fours to the nearest opening.

"This isn't over, fool!" she shouted at him with vengefully glowing eyes as she flare her wings and disappeared into the night.

Typhon watched the azure female for a few moments more in fascination before glancing at the other two wounded gargoyles.

Othello growled a warning in weariness to the red stranger, who merely gave him a passive look before walking away. The 10th century warrior watched him leave before gently gathering his injured love to himself and using his remaining strength to take them to Castle Wyvern.

Goliath gave a few last stone hard punches to his steel brother when he saw the Fledgling fly off into the sky. With a mighty kick to Coldsteel's chest, Goliath launched himself into the sky in pursuit of his future daughter.

Coldsteel sneered through his disorientation as cold as his name as he saw his foolish brother glide off. Straightening himself up, he went in a quick search for his allies, finding Darius coming out of his unconscious state rubbing his head as well as finding that his wayward siblings were gone again.

"Stop wasting time," he snapped, "They're getting away!"

"Ugh, where's Typhon?" Darius asked as his head stopped spinning.

"What's it matter. Our chance for vengeance is slipping away; we'll find the coward later."

Darius glared daggers at the silver android as he took off in to the air, and then flared out his own wings as he followed close behind.


	5. Chapter 5

Instinct drove him as he flew after the Fledgling gargoyle, worry driving him all the more.

Part of him told him to be more cautious and wary of this one who claimed to be his daughter, yet every instinct in him screamed to protect and guide her.

As he wondered about such a predicament, somehow it did not seem too surprising that he found himself back at a place that held great importance in the hearts of several clan members. Landing on the open terrace of the rebuilt clock tower, he found the young hybrid sitting upon the railing with her dark wings limply drooped behind her and staring out at the city. Her head whipped around as he steadily approached her.

"Go away," she snapped, "Leave me alone."

Goliath just patiently stood near her, have heard the sorrow in her voice. He then sat quietly beside her for a short while, admiring a view of the city that he had not seen for some time.

"Why me?" she whined after a time, "No matter how hard I try I just screw things up."

"What do you mean?" Goliath asked with curious patience.

She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, "Seriously, you don't know?"

Goliath just patiently looked at her as she gave a frustrated sigh.

"I'll never be a real gargoyle, alright?" she tried to say with a held back sob, "Every time I try to do something right all I get are criticisms from the clan about how I messed it up, like almost getting Aunt Des killed back there."

Her dark eyes glazed over as she tried to hold back watery tears.

"I knew you'd be pissed at me again, that I'd be on the receiving end of your anger."

She quietly began to sob into her hands as a small rain of tears began to flow, "Your yelling is worse than a spanking for a hatchling, and I'm always being sent to the rookery for the stupidest reasons. That's why I ran away and now possibly screwing up the timeline. I'm nothing but a freak and a screw up. I wish I was never born."

Tears began to flow as a tempest from her eyes as inner struggles of self-loathing, pity, and worthlessness surged through her, a child's fear of a parent's anger and subconscious knowledge of bitter disappointment.

A large arm encircled itself about her as it gently brought her head to rest upon a large muscular chest that offered comfort and assurance. A large wing cloaked itself about her in warmth and love away from the frightening disturbances of the outside world.

She continued to cry for another minute or so before she finally began to calm down, the rhythm of quietly listening to Goliath's heartbeat granting a small comfort.

"If I am ever so hard on you," he whispered as softly as he could with his deep voice, "Perhaps I don't mean to be."

He found it strange to be nearly apologizing for something that has not yet happened or may do, yet to this young hybrid his future was her past.

"I bet you wish you never had me," she quietly sobbed in a low voice.

"I could never think that. Yes, a mistake was made but no one has been killed. I only worry for your wellbeing, as I do for all in my clan."

"But you're Goliath; you've never made mega stupid mistakes in your life, never messed up, never let anyone down. I'm nothing but a disgrace and trouble for you."

"Actually, I have."

She looked up at him with a small stunned look, but he gave her a small smile as he continued, "As leader, every night I worry that I may make a mistake that will endanger my clan and its friends. But it was always my responsibility to bare, a personal lesson I always uphold, even if there are those that say otherwise. In my youth, when I first became second in command to Hudson, I made the mistake of placing blame on one who was innocent of an incident with my clever sister. When I handled the matter alone, I only proceeded to alienate myself as well as others in the clan. It was a humbling experience that I remember to this day, and I learned that even as leader I do not need to stand alone, but I am also responsible for how may actions effect others. The lessons we learn from our mistakes are what truly define who we are, and how we are able to work together as a clan."

She gave a small choked laugh as she sniffed back the last of her tears.

"Aunt Asrial told me about that story, and how you told her something like that when you were younger, how I'm not the first to feel like and outcast in the clan. You always were her favorite brother."

She smiled sincerely to him, but he gave her a bit of a raise eye ridge in confusion.

"Never mind," she quickly stammered, Goliath only giving a small laugh.

"Perhaps one thing to be learned from this," Goliath gently said, "is to slow down a bit and know when to strike without risking the life of another."

At first the Fledgling gave him a surprised unconvinced reaction, but took a deep breath as she said, "I suppose."

Getting down from the railing, she leaned against one of the four faces of the clock tower as she mumbled to herself, "I don't know who's the most critical, you, Mom, or Aunt Mona."

Goliath only looked at her when his ears perked up the sound of a rocket engine approaching fast. The dark haired adolescent must have heard it too because she quickly looked in the direction it was coming from around a clock tower corner.

"Oh, great, they followed us," she exclaimed.

"Quickly, we must lead them away!"

They leaped from the clock tower with leathery snaps of their wings, unsure of where to go next.

"What're we gonna do about Mr. Shadow Puppet and that walking scrap heap?"

"I don't know, though I'm open to any suggestions. I'm mostly concerned with sending you home safely."

"No way," she retorted, and then her expression lit up as a thought came to her.

"Wait. Scrap heap."

A mischievous smile that would have rivaled Puck's own lit her beautiful young face.

"I have an idea, follow me."

She quickly shifted her wings on the winds, heading for a new direction, Goliath by her side.

"They believe they can flee from us," Coldsteel mocked.

"If you have a plan for capturing Goliath and his spawn, I'm interested in hearing it," Darius said with a granite hard tone.

"That's not his whelp, I don't know who that juvenile is and I don't care. Only that she *and* Goliath will learn who their betters are. Now hurry!"

Coldsteel's rocket ignited with a roar, sending him on a collision course with his quarry. Darius struggled a bit to keep up as he kept the vengeful android in his line of sight, a though occurring to the necromancer that he may have made a bad judgment in choice.

The clan leader and future daughter soon came to a less desirable area of the city that the clan occasionally past by on their patrols. It was also a place that Goliath remembered all too well as one of the most humiliating nights of his life.

The old scrap yard had hardly changed since that night; useless and wrecked old cars that were now long past their prime and function still piled upon one after another in tall piles, and the air about the place still had a heavy stench of dirt and heavily rusted metal.

They landed near a large machine that was the only other dominate structure in the place as Goliath asked, "What exactly is your plan?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," she said a bit annoyed, then mumbled, "I hope."

Within seconds, Coldsteel and Darius had landed in the scrap yard just as the Fledgling had thought they would.

"Well, Goliath," he mocked arrogantly, "It seemed the elder's pet champion has a cowardly side that even he never knew about."

Goliath growled dangerously at his former brother as the copper skinned gargess said, "You really are a jackass, bolts for brains."

"Mind you tongue, youngling, or I shall remove it."

"Then come and get it," she quipped as she stuck it out at him.

His arm laser fired at her but she was able to dodge it before it appeared, the beam only hit a pile of disused car parts, making a small explosion of shrapnel.

While the silver android did this for several shots, Darius charged at Goliath who tried to go to the Fledgling's aid.

"You and I have unfinished business," the sorcerer hissed.

What could have become their second brawl of the night instead was very brief. Darius threw a punch at Goliath's face which only agitated the lavender warrior more than it hurt and stung Darius' knuckles. He threw another punch which Goliath caught in his bigger hand and kicked Darius away from himself in the stomach and sending him crashing into a tower of piled car shells that came tumbling down and piled atop of the Persian garogyle.

Goliath gave a sigh as he saw an angered Darius burst from the scrap pile like a hell demon. Again he tried to run at Goliath but he stumbled and few feet from him in exhaustion.

"You have nothing to gain here, Darius," Goliath reasoned, "You should return home and ask for forgiveness from your clan, they may yet accept you."

"No!" he yelled with a pant, "You cost me everything! You and that cowardly blue wench. It's not over until I've avenge my dignity from you both and the Council."

Goliath merely shook his head in pity, knowing the folly of arguing with one so set in the ways of hate. He climbed another scrap pile and glided to aid the Fledgling.

Darius watched him go with a venomous glare when something seemed to buzz at the forefront of his mind. Making his way deeper into the scrap yard, he realized that it was something he should have sensed earlier. How there was a trace of magic in this repulsive human waste gutter, he did not know. Whatever it was, he steadily went in search of the mysterious 'call.'

"Come out, you cowardly hatchling!" shouted Coldsteel, "This hiding game of yours grows tiresome. Face me!"

A metallic object hit him in the face from a random direction, making him grunt. His laser fired at where he thought she was, only making more scrap scatter from the explosion.

"Hey, Terminator, over here!" she yelled from a midsized car pile.

She threw a tire cover like a Frisbee at him as he fired off another shot at her, which she dodged with angelic grace, but her feet and lower legs still sustained many minor injuries. She stumbled as she landed near the incinerator, adrenaline driving her all the more as well as numbing some of the pain.

"Indeed, you shall be *terminated*, arrogant youngling!" Coldsteel mused as he gave a maniacal laugh.

He sent one of his tentacles at her like a whip as deadly electrical sparks surged through it. She dodged it but got hit in the left side and screamed in pain as volts hit her nervous system.

She was able to better avoid his next whip attack, but still stumbled from dizzying weakness.

As Coldsteel was about to sent his next electrified whip attack, Goliath grabbed his wrist from behind, his eyes deadly white and snarling like a jungle cat. Coldsteel just smirked as he willed electricity from his wrist as a powerful taser, making Goliath scream in agony before he let go.

"So pathetically predictable," he smirked as he briefly watched Goliath writhe in agony on the ground before turning back to his real victim. He shot all of his electrified tentacles at the young Fledgling with enthusiastic overconfidence. She just managed to duck under them as they hit the incinerator she had been dancing around and ran with the last of her strength when she felt the small pull of an invisible force.

Coldsteel's face became wide eyed with shock as he felt a strange force emanate from his body. He was only able to forcefully remove one of his arms and retract the tentacles when a small piece of debris suddenly clung to his leg. He struggled to remove it and it came free a second later, but it only got stuck to his hand as he tried to shake it off. Another larger piece of debris magnified itself to his shoulder, followed by more pieces of junk.

"No!" he screamed, "What sorcery is this?!"

He looked at the youngling as she helped Goliath to his feet.

"Who are you?" he demanded with mystified shock.

"Me?" she smiled, "I'm the best of both worlds. And by the way, you talk too much."

He screamed again as he struggled to escape from the attacking and growing prison of scrap metal, never noticing his adversaries make their escape.

The bodiless call continued to draw him to its mysterious source, determination grew within him as he became all the more sure that he was getting closer.

A groan from the surrounding wreckage sounded from somewhere nearby, as though a warning to an unwanted trespasser. Other groans began and grew louder as junk heaps began to fall over and fly through the air as an invisible force pulled at them. Darius held his arms and wings over himself to shield his vulnerable body from flying debris and sharp shrapnel, over the noise of it all he faintly heard his robotic ally screaming in anger.

It was not long before the whole ordeal was over when Coldsteel shouted loudly, "Darius! Where the Dragon are you?! Get me out of here!"

Darius growled in irritation at this sudden inconvenience, the mystic all still reaching out to him. For the next few minutes he spent time digging through all of the magnetized human junk, Coldsteel's yells taking a backseat to the mysterious dark call.

"I'm here," he said as he continued to rummage through junk, "I hear you."

Coldsteel shouted again, but it was a distant echo compared to the mysterious call.

With all of his remaining strength, he tore through an old pile of crushed junk where he believed the call emanated from, for it seemed to sound strongest here. At last, as he ripped open an old crushed metal cube of junk and reached inside the dark hole, then he felt something long and cold to the touch, a coldness of hatred and vengeance that seemed familiar.

It was an object that he was sure did not belong. He pulled it out quickly to find not a piece of human waste, but what was clearly a relic from a far off ancient time beneath its warn and damaged surface. It was remarkably intact, event the blades of the ancient ax were still sharp and deadly. Dark magic radiated from it to his yellow hide.

Darius gave a wicked grin before tucking the battle ax into his tunic and proceeded to dig out his trapped ally.

"Disappointing," he rumbled, "Yet, I'm not too surprised."

He switched off the screen in front of him, having seen most of what occurred through Coldsteel's eyes.

"How do you mean?" asked his attractive companion.

Thailog chuckled coldly as he paraphrased his own words from a lifetime ago, "Team work is very much overrated, but I expected a bit more cooperation from them on their part. But it will take some 'improvising' on my end. Typhon might be the most difficult to control, since he keeps disappearing on them. Darius and Coldsteel's animosity towards my goodie two-talons 'father' is amusing but they let it control them too much. Well, at least Coldsteel's new cybernetic link to Nightstone's computer system worked nearly flawlessly. He doesn't yet realize the real benefits it has besides being my eyes and ears on the outside."

He chuckled again as she told of her own impressed feelings.

"Story time," he bemused as he pulled her into his lap.

"The story goes, though who can say it be true. . ."

"That…was…AWSOME!" she shouted excitedly before flinching painfully from her wounds.

Goliath gently held her steady as he gave her a heartfelt smile and said, "It was indeed most impressive. How did you perform such sorcery?"

"It wasn't magic, it was science," she stated, "A little something I learned from Dan; I brought out his *magnetic* personality."

Goliath only raised an eye ridge at her as she laughed at her quip.

"There are some things about human science I'm not sure I understand."

"Don't worry you'll get it."

He gave a nod as he gazed to the deep blue horizon, dawn would approach in two hours.

"It's time to go home," he gently said.

"Alright then, to Castle Wyvern."

He looked at her with patient sternness, "That's not what I meant."

"Oh, jalapena, c'mon," she moaned, but it did not deter him.

"I don't want to, I just can't."

"Can't or won't? Your presence in this time brings too many questions that must for now remain unanswered."

She crossed her arms defiantly as she said, "Then tell them I'm a visitor from another clan, or maybe I'll runaway and join the circus and be a sideshow freak act. Isn't that every kid's dream in this time period?"

"Daughter," he said with patient authority, and she deflated a bit but still gave a stubborn look.

"Remember what we spoke of earlier tonight?"

"Yeah," she quietly groaned.

"I understand how you must be confused," he said as he gingerly put a strong hand on her shoulder, "I too had difficulties with confrontation with my elders in my youth. But with their support, I learned that there was more to me than my flaws. I know you feel less than capable of the gargoyle you are, but I see a young warrior who is strong, intelligent, and full of much promising potential. You have rekindled my hope for the future where there had only been uncertainty, and I see much of myself and Elisa in you. You truly are not just our daughter, you are our destiny."

She looked up at him abruptly, a bit surprised. A small smile then graced her lips as she said, "Some things never change. You always have to be so philosophical and have the last word, don't you?"

He just smiled at her.

She then gave him a warm hug in the traditional gargoyle embrace of arms and wings, a feeling of loving warmth understood by many earthly creatures.

"Just promise me one thing," she said as she reluctantly stepped back from him, "I know you can't always play favorites with the clan's children, but please promise that you'll always be there for me when I need you, even when I think I don't."

His deep eyes glazed over a bit as he continued to smile at with a future father's love.

"I promise."

She smiled widely at him with small tears in her eyes as she finally uttered the incantation. Within moments she became engulfed by dancing psychedelic flames and was gone.

He stared at the empty air of where she had stood only moments before, yet they seemed so far away compared to a small loneliness that suddenly entered his heart. The loneliness quickly passed as he remembered who waited for him at Castle Wyvern across from where he stood.

With renewed hope in his heart he quickly made his way home.

As he finally entered the Great Hall he was a bit surprised to find most of the clan there waiting for him.

"Goliath!"Shouted Elisa so loudly that it echoed within the Hall, "There you are! Oh my god, where have you been?! I've been so worried!"

He became filled with pride, relief, need and hope as he embraced his beloved lifemate, flinching only slightly from her touch at his aching body. She stepped back to better note of his condition.

"My god, Goliath. What happened to you?"

His powerful muscular form was covered in bruises, a small abrasion cut across his hide here and there that had already begun to coagulate and scab. His right eye was black and blue.

"Coldsteel…" was all he could utter when Elisa gently place her strong delicate fingers on his lips.

"It's okay, you don't need to explain. Othello told all about his attack. Desdemona's getting some rest before dawn right now. I'm just glad that you're all okay, it's one of the few good things that's happened tonight."

"What do you mean, My Love?" Goliath asked with worried curiosity.

There were grave expressions from many clan members.

"Most of it has to do with business at the station," Elisa began gravely, "Several members from the arrested gang earlier tonight are going to be let off with lighter sentence time because of 'circumstantial evidence' according to rumors the Captain told me about. Matt also told me that Kowalski wants to launch a further investigation into 'gargoyle interference' with the arrests, claiming that it's a 'territorial dispute.' He's even begun to go through all the old records, even ones from the Quarrymen, and is obsessed with pinning all of the blame on you guys of all the weird stuff that's happened in the past. Yale's even begun petitioning for the GTF to use 'necessary excessive force for capturing the monsters.' And then there's the usual crap with the local gangs and the invading Yakuza, which they want to connect you guys to as well. I swear those assholes are starting to piss me off so much I want to rip my hair out."

As Elisa told of the troubles that faced the clan, her voice became hard with razor edges as she vented her frustration and growing anger at a fellow police officer, something she thought she could never feel.

Goliath gently held her close for support, she rubbed her hip unconsciously against him and snuggled her face into his powerful chest.

"There's more," Goliath said after a long silent minute, "Darius also attacked me. He no doubt has allied with Coldsteel and in turn Thailog. He seeks revenge for his failed takeover of the Council."

"Our evil brother," Othello rumbled, "may not be this outsider's only ally. I saw Demona battle an unfamiliar red gargoyle, but he gave us not further conflict when she fled."

No one but Broadway noticed Angela's small reaction to her mother's name.

"If she had indeed returned," Goliath said thoughtfully, "Why has she not informed us. If she indeed wants to be part of our clan again, we can surely use her help in fighting these foes."

"Let's also not forget, Big Guy," Elisa began, "Thailog still controls her company and threatened my parents and that artist friend of hers, Andrea.

"But one thing I'm sure of," she continued as she chose her next words carefully for Angela's sake, "As…aggressive as she was in the past, she's still extremely stubborn. I'm sure she'll contact us when she's ready."

It was agreed then. The clan then dispersed throughout the castle to take care of any last minute personal needs before preparing for the coming dawn.

Goliath and Elisa walked together side by side for a time in a deep embrace.

"I swear, Big Guy," Elisa deeply sighed after a time, "I wish I could just get away from all of this."

"What do you mean, Beloved?"

"Ever since we got married, it's like thing just got more difficult, as if more and more people are trying to rip us apart. It's been more difficult ever since Tamora got hurt. I'm grateful to her for saving your life, but still…"

She went limp in her lifemate's arms, a great burden shared between lovers.

"I spoke with Balthazar, the Persian Clan leader, two nights ago. I was told that Tamora is recovering well."

"That's good news," Elisa said with a tired smile, "But I just wish that we could be alone for a while, just the two of us. No megalomaniacs trying to take over the world, no mad science gone crazy, no war of the gods, no politics or crooked cops, no nothing. Just us some place quiet and happy."

A mischievous smile widened on Goliath's face, a rare twinkle lit his dark eyes.

"Well, My Love, I may know of such a place. But we leave after the holidays."


	6. Chapter 6

****Castle Wyvern, 2025

Dancing light momentarily emanated from the science lab, from which a young hybrid then stepped out of walking flat on her feet and her wings limp and dragging. Her head hung from exhaustion and a small depression, she was reluctant to face the clan and her parents for her mistake.

When she finally decided to face it with her head held high with self assuring confidence, she suddenly once again bumped into a living brick wall around a corner from the lab.

She again plopped to the floor as a deep voice chuckled, "Some things never change."

Again she stared high up to the commanding presence of the clan leader, her father, Goliath.

In some ways he had not change, he still had deep shadowy lavender skin coloring and long dark sable hair, which had only gone slightly grey at his temples, his craggy features bore some crow's feet at his eyes. He was also still powerfully built like an iconic hero god and his dark thundercloud wings were elegantly cloaked around him like royalty. In place of his brown loincloth he now wore form fitting trousers like from a police officer's uniform with a specialized utility belt which held a small broad dagger on his left hip; thick straps crossed his massive chest in an X pattern with a special stylized badge in the center of his chest and the straps connected to silver shoulder guards. He wore high-tech armbands similar to Brooklyn's own, and his right eye had three parallel scars going down from his brow ridge to his jaw line, yet his eye was still a deep onyx and still functioned perfectly.

He held his hand out for her, which she took a bit grudgingly.

"Hi, Dad," was all she said.

"We need to speak."

"I know," she said with a hardened jaw, "But I'm tired of being humiliated in front of the entire clan. I promise I won't ever run again, but my scapegoat complex has to stop, I'm tired of it."

Her father gave her a sober look as he said, "Perhaps you are right. I was indeed too harsh with you and just allowed my anger to cloud my judgment. What happened with that training machine was an accident but it doesn't excuse my harsh words with you. I never wanted you to fear me, for I have ever only tried to do what I thought was best for you, just as I promised."

Small tears watered her eyes and she laughed as she said, "And here I thought you just wanted to make my life a living hell."

A laugh and tears were shared as father and daughter become enveloped in a double embrace. He also took notice of her injuries, the nick and cuts on her lower legs, the burn on her left side and a small cut on her cheek.

"Did you mean what you said about me?" she asked when they finally parted, his large hand gently cupping her cut cheek.

Goliath smiled as it took him a moment to remember what she meant.

"Yes, I very much did, and you are so much more, my precious daughter, my beloved Destiny."

With her father's brawny arm wrapped lovingly and protectively around her shoulder, they made they made their way into the castle corridors, the young adolescent thinking how lucky she truly is to have a father like Goliath and a big family that cared about her.

She also vowed in the back of her mind to never run from her problems again.

End of Episode 4


End file.
